3 New York Rangers Not Expected Back Next Season

The New York Rangers are not meeting expectations this season. The team currently sits in a tie for a wildcard Stanley Cup Playoff position in the Eastern Conference and will need a big second half of the season to solidify their spot in the NHL's second season. While the Rangers will be active in the trade market before the March 3 deadline, let's jump ahead to next season and showcase a few players who aren't expected to be on the roster:

Jaroslav Halak

The arguably easiest target of the bunch, 37-year-old Jaroslav Halak is off to a shaky start of his Rangers' career. In his first season on Broadway, Halak has recorded 3.04 GAA and a .890 SV%. Not necessarily the type of numbers anyone was expecting to see from the Rangers backup, but he won't be playing much of a role with Igor Shesterkin healthy and undoubtably the team's #1 netminder. Halak is likely a one and done.

Alexis Lafreniere

A surprise entry of late, Alexis Lafreniere has made his way into the coach's dog house and now could be a huge trade chip before the March 3 trade deadline this season. If a deal isn't reached with Lafreniere included, expect to see lots of trade talks over the course of next summer. Some feel he's headed to Chicago for Patrick Kane, we're curious to see if the Montreal Canadiens get involved.

Sammy Blais

Speaking of struggles of late, Sammy Blais is having a horrible season on Broadway. Through his first 31 games, Blais has yet to score and has recorded five assists. Since joining the Rangers last season, he's appeared in 45 total games and actually hasn't scored a single goal. Don't expect to see the pending unrestricted free agent re-signed by Rangers management this summer.

Photo credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports